Wow. I have never heard anything like this before. Can you check the browser history to see what site they're visiting? Are you sure it's not the same (unstable) woman? Good luck with this and please let us know what you discover.
Definitely different women. One was in her fifties with greying hair, one was in her forties/fifties with red hair, and this one tonight is in her twenties. I'm bad with faces for sure but I know these are different women.
They're either listening to prayer groups online (I helped one of them get to the online player) or religious music (Youtube), I've peeked at their screens.
Hmm. Are you in a public library? Are you in an area with a particularly devout or unusual religious community? I'm wondering why they would go there for their religious fix. Are they disturbing other patrons? If they're noisy, maybe that's an excuse you can use. I'll be interested in what your boss says ( if there's a history of this and/or how they choose to handle it).
Public library, not especially devout or religious but I work at the "downtown" branch, so we get a LOT of transients and down-on-their-luck people.
She wasn't noisy enough to get in trouble on a normal day, it was just quiet in the lab so I could hear her, and she was making whimpering and crying noises to herself. It's not crowded and the nighttime population tends to be heavily towards the transients and generally odd people.
No history yet, because in my two or so years working in the lab this has happened about three times on my shifts. We're being more proactive with our policies now because of the problems we've had.
I'm a religious person myself, but that would definitely make me uncomfortable too. I wouldn't treat it any differently than you would anyone else who was being disruptive - but I do think this sounds disruptive! I'm sure you're not the only one uncomfortable.
Maybe, but no one complained, so our policy is generally if they're not hurting themselves or others, and no one complains about their behavior, to let it slide. I'm reconsidering sending an e-mail to my boss-lady. I'll consult a few of the other lab monitors and see what they think.
Though that makes me feel a little better that someone religious might be a little bugged out too. I have an aversion to religion but it's my problem, not their's!
As a manager in a public library, if this was brought to me by one of my staff, I would say until she breaks a policy (like soliciting) or makes another patron uncomfortable, you have to leave her. All people are entitled to use the library as they like, as long as they're not breaking the rules. When you get a customer complaint, or if she's loud enough to distract you from your work and you're unable to concentrate, then ask her to quiet down. That's my advice :)
That helps a lot, and my branch manager is overburdened as it is, so I probably won't be bothering her with this. After my initial creep-out session, this is what I'm going with.
Frankly this doesn't strike me as particularly unusual behavior, haha. I agree that until another customer complains or they get too loud, I'd leave them.
It sounds like an evangelical Christian who doesn't have an Internet connection doing worship. I agree with the other posters that if they start disrupting other patrons or make it difficult for you to do your work, then you could ask them to pray more quietly.
Does your library have a clear policy on stuff like this? Mine has the rules posted over the computer area so that cuts down on arguments if I can just point to the rule that says "No disrupting others."
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They're either listening to prayer groups online (I helped one of them get to the online player) or religious music (Youtube), I've peeked at their screens.
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She wasn't noisy enough to get in trouble on a normal day, it was just quiet in the lab so I could hear her, and she was making whimpering and crying noises to herself. It's not crowded and the nighttime population tends to be heavily towards the transients and generally odd people.
No history yet, because in my two or so years working in the lab this has happened about three times on my shifts. We're being more proactive with our policies now because of the problems we've had.
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Though that makes me feel a little better that someone religious might be a little bugged out too. I have an aversion to religion but it's my problem, not their's!
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Thank you!
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Does your library have a clear policy on stuff like this? Mine has the rules posted over the computer area so that cuts down on arguments if I can just point to the rule that says "No disrupting others."
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